Automobile headlight



Aug. 7, 1934.

T. DELEHANTY AUTOMOBILE AHEADLIGIH Filed May l5, 1950 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 AUTOMOBILE HEADIJIGHT T-homas yDeleha'nty, Washingtomi-D. .Application .May 515, 19a-0, serial N0. {452;744

-3 Claims.

' invention Arelates to A.new Vand useful im- :provements 1in? headlights and. more .particularly `to `automobile heax'llightsfof the dirigible type 'in y.Iwhichlthelflig'hts areadapted to be directedat all '7 5 ti-nieslin lthe path fof m'ovement-of lthe'machine `f20 lga'geditherebywheniturning the `vehiclein either iirection, the Vl-positihning being 'such 'that the operatingmeans-will not be engaged innormal Asteering '-in *a substantially f-s'traight direction `or due `Eto flvibrati'ons-upon going `laver irregularities in the road bed.

fiCi-xiother-objectof =theiinventionconsistsin providing-naheoperating :member adapted to be enfg'agedby'the wheel withfanti-friotion rollers Vrar -ithellileito ip'r'e'vent lunduelwear ofthe itres.

- Affurtherfbbjectlresideslin providing means for @g5 going amanda "curve,

"With-:itlaeabove andfother 1robj ects -in View` which will, appear as the description proceeds, my-infvertidniconsistsinlthefnovel details of construction and arrangement of parts described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawingz Fig. 1 is a front View of an automobile with my attachment applied.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental top plan with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the inner face of one of the front wheels with the operating member in position relative thereto.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental detail, partly in vertical place. are mounted in thefsocketsffor swinging Aor rogo section, showing =the manner of 'mounting =the headlights;j and fFig. '5 is ahorizontal section onthe linen-"5 nf Fig.`4.

In the drawing `-1 "lindicates sthe -front axle, I2 o and .B thefront wheels, '4 andi5 the ffrontfmud guards or 1 fenders including 'the aprons 6 and t7, and` Sand i-ly the rheadlightspositioned fin rfrontfof the radiator .10, 4the parts being `such as are found -on automobiles of Welleknown construe:- 5 tions. The iwheelsZ and'13 willbe operatedin the usual manne'rfforr steering. y

'The headlights and `9:eachfincludea:sulpporting standard fllsan'd If'havefshown the lower endsof the-standardsas beingfrec'eivedin'sockets 10 i2 `secured jto the automobile 'frame V13by1mea`ns of the bolts l4'and nuts 15. Eachof the socket members l2 is'providedLwithftheopposed elongated circumferentially extending'openings A16 `rin which voperates Labolt 17 which also extends `In; through fthefstandard l 1 i as lsliowi'i-imore particularly in Figs. i4! and 15 -of Lthe drawing, Ueach o'f f the bolts freceiving a `-nut 518v l'forholdingthe same It lwill thus lbe seen 'that vthe `starid'ards tatable movement, :such movement 'being `limited by engagement ofthe 'bcawitnfihefends Lofithe openings-16` kThe:boltslpreventverticalmovement of the standardsrelativeftothefsoekets.

Secured Eto 'the `standaLrdf-flil, of fthe headlight g5 on theiarmlandlengages"theg"standard-onthat side face of the wheel 2 but spaced a distance theree5 from as quite clearly shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing for a purpose which will be later described. A pair of rollers 25 are carried by the bar 24, at each end thereof, and these rollers are adapted to engage the inner side of the tire form- '1160 ing a part of the wheel 2 when the wheel is steered to make a turn or in going around a. curve. The bar, with the rollers, is spaced a suicient distance from the inner face of the wheel or tire forming a part thereof that the rollers will not be @d5 engaged when the vehicle is being driven in a substantially straight line or when the wheels are vibrated through unevenness in the road bed or the like. Coiled springs 26 are secured to the Y arm 19 of the bell crank lever and to the under qllll when going around a curve.

surface of the apron 6 of the mud guard or fender 4, these springs extending on opposite sides of the arm as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and normally holding the lever in a position to in turn hold the headlight 8 with its light rays directed straight ahead of the vehicle. As shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing the arm 19 passes through an elongated opening 26 formed in the apron 6, the opening being of such a length as to allow the necessary movement of the arm 19 therein.

A rod or bar 2'7 has one end connected to that portion of the arm 20 of the bell crank lever which extends through the standard l1 and the opposite end of the rod is secured to an arm 28 secured to the standard 11 of the headlight 9. By means of the rod 27 the headlights l8 and 9 are connected for operation in unison and when the headlight 8 is turned, in either direction, the headlight 9 will be similarly turned through means of .the connection therebetween.

From the above detail description it is thought that the construction and operation of my invention will be clearly understood. While I have shown the headlights as being mounted with the lower Vends of their standards received in the sockets 12 I Wish it understood that my invention is not to be limited to this particular construction and that I have only illustrated this construction to show one means for mounting the headlights for-swinging movement. My invention resides in the means fork swinging or rotating the headlights to direct the light rays in front of the machine when making a turn or Normally the parts will be in the positions shownin Figs. 1 and 2 or the drawing with the bar 24 extending parallel with the inner face of the wheel 2 and with the rollers 25 positioned a distance from the face of the wheel. With this positioning of the parts a sufcient play is allowed for the wheel 2 in ordinary driving or steering without engagement with the rollers 25. The bar is held in this normal position by means of the coiled springs 25. When a left hand turn is to be made the Wheel V2 will be so turned that the tires forming a part thereof will engage the rollers 25 on the forward end of the bar 24 and through means of the bell crank lever the headlight 8 will be swung to project the light rays towards the left or to maintain the rays infront of the vehicle while turning.l As the headlight 9 is connected to the Aheadlight 8 through means of the connecting rod 27 it will be similarly turned. If the vehicle is to be turned to the right the wheel 2 will be so swung as to engage the rollers 25 on the rear end of the bar 24 and this engagementof the rollers will operate the bell crank lever to swing the headlights 8 and 9 towards the right. It will be seen that I have provided novel means which may be connected to any well-known form of headlight constructions and in which the operation of the headlights takes place by contact by the wheel itself with the rollers carried by a member normally extending parallel with the inner face of the wheel. After the lights have been swung in either direction and the wheel is moved from rengagement with either pair of rollers 25 .the parts will be returned to their normal position by means of the coiled springs 26.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent iszl. In an automobile including a headlight mounted for swinging movement and a mudguard extending over the wheel with an apron provided with an opening, a horizontal member extending through the apron opening with an arm connected to the headlight and a portion extending parallel with the face of the steering wheel, the ends of the portion extending parallel with the face of the steering wheel being normally spaced from the face ofthe wheel butin a position to be engaged by the wheel when the same is swung in either direction in a steering movement.

2. In an automobile including a headlight mounted for swinging movement and a mudguard extending over the wheel with an apron provided with an opening, a horizontal member extending through the apron opening with an armconnected to the headlight and a portion extending parallel with the face of the steering wheel, the ends of the portion extending parallel with the face of the steering Wheel being normally spaced from the face of the wheel but in a position to be engaged by the wheel whenV the same is swung in either direction in a steering movement, and means connected to the horizontal member and to the apron and concealed beneath the apron for normally holding the headlightv toV project its light rays straight ahcadand to return the headlight to its normal position as the steering wheel is straightened.

3.- In a vehicle including a headlight mounted for swinging movement, of means controlled by the movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle for operating the headlight, said means including a member having a portion connected directly to and carried by the headlight and a portion ex.- tending parallel with the face of a steering wheel, the ends of the parallel extending portion being normally spaced from the faceof the wheel but in position to be engaged thereby when the wheel is swung in either direction in a steering movement. f

THOMAS DELEHANTY.

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